Netflix CEO Sarandos visited White House amid WBD deal pursuit

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos visited the White House Thursday afternoon for a meeting on his company’s effort to buy part of Warner Bros. Discovery — shortly before Netflix walked away from the deal.

WBD issued a statement saying that Paramount Skydance‘s new bid to buy all of the company appeared to be a “superior proposal,” ending a push by Netflix to buy part of the company.

Sarandos was not expected to meet with President Donald Trump, who days ago demanded that Netflix boot former Obama administration official Susan Rice from its board of directors “or pay the consequences.”

“This meeting is not with POTUS,” a White House official told CNBC.

“Netflix is meeting with staff members at the White House,” the official said.

Paramount earlier this week had submitted an enhanced bid to buy all of WBD.

Shortly after Sarandos arrived for his meeting, WBD issued a statement, saying that its board of directors, “following consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors,” determined that Paramount Skydance’s bid “constitutes a ‘Company Superior Proposal’ as defined in WBD’s merger agreement with Netflix.”